Results 201-220 of 1,066 for garda speaker:Simon Harris

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...in discharging their respective functions and responsibilities in respect of policing and security in the State. Chapter 12 of the commission on the future of policing report, noted that an Garda Síochána and other criminal justice services are and should be accountable to the democratically elected Government of the State. The role of holding An Garda to account is exercised...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...that engagement went. That is the first thing I want to say. After Deputy McNamara's comments, I do not need to repeat the purpose of the amendments but I will provide the rationale. The number of Garda staff has increased substantially in recent years and it will continue to grow. This is in the context of a long-standing policy over many governments to increase the civilianisation...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I invite people to look at the composition of the management structure of An Garda Síochána.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...to one more matter on the off-chance that people follow these debates. I need to refer to one more point, the very fair point the Deputy makes with regard to promotional opportunities with An Garda Síochána and the question of whether you need to be a sworn member of An Garda Síochána as distinct from a member of Garda staff. I meet these people on a regular basis....

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...which only obliges the authority to consult with such persons as it considers appropriate. It does not appear to me to be unreasonable to require that the proposed new authority consult with the Garda Commissioner before determining the policing priorities, given that An Garda Síochána is obviously a key stakeholder in that matter. Indeed, it would seem to me to be essential....

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Just for the record, the intention here is separating the governance of An Garda Síochána and the oversight of the organisation. There should be clear lines of responsibility between the different actors in the policing area. Under the current legislation, the Policing Authority has a role in approving the policing plan. This was removed in order to ensure that an oversight body...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 60: In page 86, line 20, to delete “Garda Síochána Compensation Acts 1941 to 2003” and substitute “Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022”. As Deputies are aware, I recently signed the commencement order for the Garda Síochána Compensation Act 2022, and it came into operation on 10 April. The purpose of this...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 61: In page 88, line 5, to delete “Garda Síochána Compensation Acts 1941 to 2003” and substitute “Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022”.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 62: In page 88, lines 28 and 29, to delete “Garda Síochána Compensation Acts 1941 to 2003” and substitute “Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022”.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Section 98 provides for an offence of causing dissatisfaction among members of An Garda Síochána. It provides that a person who causes or does any act calculated to cause dissatisfaction among members of An Garda Síochána or does any act calculated to induce any such member to withhold his or her services or to commit a breach of the standards of professional behaviour...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...Deputy on that in advance of Report Stage because I think that would be useful to do so. The Deputy rightly outlined that in 2019, the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2019 gave members of An Garda Síochána full access, for the first time, to the State's industrial relations mechanism, including the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Labour Court. It was an...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...Deputy's amendment. In addition, section 142(1) provides for these inspections as long as they are in the furtherance of the authority's objective, which is to oversee and assess performance by An Garda Síochána of its function relating to policing services under the section. In light of the fact that the proposed amendment is covered by existing provisions setting out the...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...the approach taken here, as with the approach taken throughout the entire Bill, originates from the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, which recognised that An Garda Síochána and other criminal justice services are and should be accountable to the democratically elected Government of the State. The role of holding them to account is exercised...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...note that I am considering whether there may be a need for further amendments to this section or other sections in the chapter to deal with transitional issues in relation to the dissolution of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. This may include a new section for the purpose of designating one or more of the three members of the inspectorate, whose term of office would otherwise...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...give the committee all of the information in the round. We are basically proposing the deletion of section 205, which provides for the police ombudsman to have the option of establishing a joint investigation with An Garda Síochána in relation to an incident of concern where the incident relates to the commission of an alleged offence. The consequential amendments, which is how...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I move amendment No. 104: In page 152, line 29, to delete “Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts 1941 to 2003” and substitute “Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022”.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...Bill, originates from the recommendation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report, which recognises in chapter 12, as I have said a number of times this afternoon, that An Garda Síochána and other criminal justice services, are and should be accountable to the democratically-elected Government of the State. The role of holding them to account is exercised...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...this consultation is to ensure this new incident of concern process is practical and operable. Section 200(4) also provides that having notified the police ombudsman of an incident of concern, the Garda Commissioner may still take lawful actions to prevent the commission of offences or breaches of the professional standards of behaviour, including commencing or continuing a criminal...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The original Garda Síochána Act 2005 provided for a time limit of 12 months for the taking of such proceedings, extended to 18 months by section 51 of the Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2015. The new section 218 reinstates the time period of 18 months which was approved by the Oireachtas and which is a relatively recent period in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (9 May 2023)

Simon Harris: ...amendments to other Acts of the Oireachtas. Deputies may wish to note that I am considering further amendments across this Part on Report Stage for the purpose of aligning references to members of Garda staff with those in other statutes. I also wish to note my intention to propose new sections to this Part on Report Stage. These sections will be of a technical nature and will be...